Ropes, cords, electrical cords and other rope-like materials find application in a variety of environments. For example, electrical "extension" cords are used to carry electrical power from a receptacle to a remote location where an electrical appliance is to be used. Further, sail boats and ski boats use rope for a variety of reasons, such as sheets, tie downs, and in the case of a ski boat, the ski rope itself.
In many situations it is awkward to store the rope or cord when it not being used. Electrical cords may be wound around a person's arm and then tied up for later use. Alternatively, the electrical cord may be stored wrapped around a spool. In the former situation, the cord frequently becomes knotted or kinked, making it difficult to use the next time. In the latter situation, the cord must be unwrapped from the spool before it can be used.
On sail boats or ski boats, lines or ropes are sometimes loosely coiled and wrapped and then thrown to the bottom of the boat where they can get in the way or even become dangerous. Alternatively, they may be wrapped around cleats provided for that purpose. In that case, the rope or line must be unwrapped from around the cleats before it can be used.
Some electrical appliances, most notably the vacuum cleaner, have addressed this problem by providing cleat-like fixtures formed into the body of the appliance which can be released by rotating one of the fixtures to release the cord.